Liard First Nation withdraws support from women's society

Yukon’s Liard First Nation has withdrawn support for the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society.

Chief Liard McMillan says the group is unaccountable to the First Nation, but should be because it receives funding from territorial and federal agencies with First Nation support.

It has also recieved funding directly from the First Nation.

Liard McMillan, the chief of the Liard First Nation in Yukon, has withdrawn support from the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society, saying it's unaccountable to the First Nation.
(CBC)

McMillan says his government will no longer ignore the accountability issues and he wants other levels of government to follow suit.

"We're basically sending a message out there to the Yukon public and to the other levels of government that they shouldn't assume that when the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society comes knocking on their door for funding, that that funding is going to be used in an appropriate fashion," he said.

Mary Maje, a director with the Liard Aboriginal Women's Society, says the organization needs the support of the First Nation.

"I wish they will not withdraw their support for LAWS because we are their membership," she said. "We have so many social issues that we're all in this together. You have respect for one another; you help one another. That's what First Nations is all about."

Maje says the society is an open book. They have an annual general meeting, regular audits and are a registered charity. Their finances are available online.